Writer's Scrapbook
by woodmr13
Summary: A collection of short stories that I've mostly written for classes and some I've done just for the sake of doing so. I'm also including some collabs I did with friends. They typically range from comedic and satirical to dark and disturbing.
1. 300 Feet Under

_I wrote this as a class project._

 _The prompt we were given was something about a grandmother and her grandson ascending a staircase._

 _I decided to do something slightly different._

* * *

The sound of steel clanging against stone rang out as a small elevator descended into the abyss below. A nervous silence between the miners ensued as they neared the bottom of the shaft, all of their hearts skipping a beat as the familiar odor of coal filled their nostrils. The elevator lurched as it hit the bottom and the doors slowly opened, revealing an impressive system of mining tunnels. The other miners were already hard at work prying precious coal from the stone walls. This was a dangerous job. The treacherous terrain, unstable ceiling, and the winding maze of paths had all contributed to a number of deaths. A young man ventured into the shaft, recalling the numerous corpses that he'd seen pulled from the mine over the years. A sense of dread slowly consumed him as the path he walked grew darker and darker. He'd been assigned to an exploration of a cave system that had been discovered the previous day. He was the first to explore this new system and was given strict instructions not to attempt any mining, lest he

A sense of dread slowly consumed him as the path he walked grew darker and darker. He'd been assigned to an exploration of a cave system that had been discovered the previous day. He was the first to explore this new system and was given strict instructions not to attempt any mining, lest he be the cause of a cave in. The lantern he carried did little to illuminate the path but provided just enough light to prevent total blindness. The miner passed several veins of coal, quickly growing bored with the dull job. That's when he noticed a dim white light shining through the darkness ahead. Curiously, he approached the source, discovering that it was coming through some cracks in the cavern wall. It was mesmerizing, so mesmerizing that the miner quickly disobeyed his strict instructions and began chipping away at the wall with his pick. The light steadily grew brighter, and soon the source was revealed. A crystalline gem the size of a large egg was set within the wall. It shone like a star with all colors of the rainbow and gave off a dim white aura. The miner's heart pounded as he pried the jewel from its resting place, completely oblivious to the spreading cracks in the wall. Finally, it came loose and fell into his grasp, the still clinging stone crumbling into dust around it. It seemed to pulsate in his hands and warmed his cold fingers. He stared at it in awe, imagining just how much a gem like this could be sold for. However, before he even had a chance to pocket it, a thunderous roar echoed throughout the cavern. The poor fool barely had time to scream, barely had time to register the taste of blood in his mouth as the ceiling came crashing down on him.

It was mesmerizing, so mesmerizing that the miner quickly disobeyed his strict instructions and began chipping away at the wall with his pick. The light steadily grew brighter, and soon the source was revealed. A crystalline gem the size of a large egg was set within the wall. It shone like a star with all colors of the rainbow and gave off a dim white aura. The miner's heart pounded as he pried the jewel from its resting place, completely oblivious to the spreading cracks in the wall. Finally, it came loose and fell into his grasp, the still clinging stone crumbling into dust around it. It seemed to pulsate in his hands and warmed his cold fingers. He stared at it in awe, imagining just how much a gem like this could be sold for. However, before he even had a chance to pocket it, a thunderous roar echoed throughout the cavern. The poor fool barely had time to scream, barely had time to register the taste of blood in his mouth as the ceiling came crashing down on him.

He awoke to a bright white light shining in his face. At first, the miner thought it was the gem, but he was quickly proven otherwise. "Grandma?" he asked. His grandmother smiled at him.

"I know this is confusing, sweetheart. Just follow me." David looked at his grandmother in wonder. She seemed to emit that same white light he'd seen in that cave. Dimly, he realized that both he and his grandmother were slightly transparent. He then noticed his surroundings for the first time. An endless expanse of clouds surrounded them, and bright sunlight shone through them. They also appeared to be walking on those very clouds and ahead was a great, marble staircase.

"Are we…"

"Dead." his grandmother finished. "Yes. We are." Before he even had a chance to respond, she continued talking. I've been waiting here for you for many years, you know. You're the last of our family to die. Some of them are waiting for us up that staircase as we speak. Some… weren't so lucky." She then noticed the distraught look on her grandson's face. "What's wrong, honey?"

"It's just strange, you know? Everything I've ever known is gone. I just thought I'd do more with my life before my time came."

"You did plenty," she said, smiling sweetly. "Besides, death is only the beginning." Grandmother Workman reached over and grabbed David's arm. "This part never ceases to amaze me," she said with a slight chuckle. The staircase was steep. So steep that he was nervous that his grandmother would go tumbling off into oblivion, but she leaned against him as they ascended. The voices of an angelic choir echoed across the sky as the fabled pearly gates came into sight.


	2. The Ultimate Showdown

_A few years ago, a friend and I were bored in our Geometry class._

 _We took turns writing whatever we wanted and tried to make it as absurd as possible._

 _I think I uploaded this once before in an attempt at compiling short stories._

 _I didn't have much else to add to the compilation at the time, so I scrapped it._

 _This isn't meant to be a political statement or anything like that, so don't get all triggered and throw a fit over it._

 ** _It's satire._**

* * *

Kevin and John went on a mission to find the secret Hydra base, in search of the Illuminati symbiote. This symbiote would grant its host the powers of the Great Eye itself, and was needed to launch the assault against the dark lord, Donald Trump. Wielding his billionaire power from Trump Tower, the dark lord took Santa hostage and turned the inhabitants of the North Pole into horrible monstrosities that devoured the Northern Lights in order to shroud the world in the darkness of Trump's hellish master, George Bush Sr.

The Hydra base turned out to be empty, and the symbiote was there for the taking. Except there were TWO symbiotes. Both Kevin and John bonded with one, awakening their awesome power. Kevin's symbiote was bright green, the blessing of The Illuminati. John's symbiote was dark blue, the blessing of Papa Franku, another powerful deity. Grateful for the power that their lord and savior, Shrek, had bestowed upon them, the two friends set off to Trump Tower to end the madness once and for all.

However, the golden eye of Trump sees all, and knew they were coming. Using his unholy power, he turned Trump Wall into a dark mech named Wallio that shot racist lasers at Mexico. Kevin and John arrived just in time to stop the robot from destroying Mexico. With the power of their symbiotes and the blessings of the gods, Kevin and John did battle with Wallio, quickly destroying him. The two friends then rallied the Mexicans, and stormed New York with their army hellbent on ending the reign of terror once and for all.

However, what the approaching army failed to realize was that Wallio had merely been a distraction. Using eldritch knowledge, the Cult of Trump turned Trump Tower into a mandala, which they used to summon the spirit of Tower-Tron, enemy of minorities and harbinger of bad hair. Tower-Tron merged with Donald, creating one of the worst monstrosities known to man. Using his new, unholy powers, Donald resurrected the entity known as Adolph Hitler to assist him in battle. Adolph promptly exclaimed; "Jüdisch Schwein"!, and led his army of Nazis into battle against Kevin, John, and their army of angry Mexicans.

The battle was fierce, the causalities were many, but Kevin and John were winning. The undead Nazis fell easily against the onslaught of Hispanic fury. Soon, John had slain Adolph Hitler once again. Hitler's dying words were; "Heil Hydra". The heroes were winning, their army was doing battle with Tower-Tron, the future was looking bright. But then something terrible happened. An unnatural darkness covered the sky, and a massive crevice opened under Trump Tower, swallowing the mandala. Then, the fearsome battle cry; "ore wa ochinchin ga daisuki nandayo", rang out from the crevice.

They couldn't believe it. It was Chin-Chin, the dark Lycra god, mortal enemy of Papa Franku. But he had not come from the crevice. Chin-Chin had come from a portal to his own domain; Jacksonville, Florida. The real purpose of the crevice was revealed as a demonic manifestation emerged from it. It was the monstrous form of the true Dark Lord, the king of Oblivion, enemy of all things good. It was George Bush Sr. himself.

The three demons used their powers to tear through the opposing army, bringing a terrible fate to many Mexican warriors. But then the demons shifted their attention to Kevin and John. Knowing the weakness of symbiotes, they assaulted them with high-pitched frequencies, bringing tremendous pain to both symbiote and host. Just as the two friends thought it was over, the demons stopped their assault, allowing them to recover.

They didn't know why the pain had stopped, until they each felt a hand on their shoulder. They couldn't believe their eyes. It was Papa Franku himself, accompanied by a physical manifestation of the Illuminati. But then something even more miraculous happened. A beautiful hole tore through the dark sky, and their god descended to Earth to assist in battle. It was the Ogrelord himself, Shrek.

Shrek restored the friends layers and gave them each an onion. Then, the three gods approached the demons threatening their world. Enraged, Shrek shouted; "This is my swamp"! Together, Shrek, Franku, and the Illuminati used their holy powers to banish Chin-Chin, Tower-Tron, and George Bush Sr. back to the darkness that they had come from. This separated the bond between Tower-Tron and Donald Trump, leaving him weakened and defenseless. Thinking quickly, Kevin used some super-sick meme skills to decimate Lord Trump. Papa Franku sent the few remaining Trump supporters to Realm 0, also known as The Rice Fields.

It was over, the battle had been won. With a smile on his face, Shrek said to Kevin and John; "It's all Ogre now". Then the three gods ascended back to Sovngarde, their heavenly home. Kevin and John were pleased. They had completed their mission. Santa was free, the inhabitants of the North Pole had been cured, the Northern Lights had returned, and the world was free from Trump's expensive tyranny forever.


	3. The Fresh Prince of Far Far Away

_The prompt for this one was to modernize a fairytail. (AKA making a parody.)_

 _We decided to make a parody of a parody and combined two godlike shows._

* * *

 _Now this is a story all about how  
My life got flipped turned upside down  
And I'd like to take a minute, just sit and stay  
I'll tell you how I became king of Far Far Away_

 _In Western Camelot, born and raised_  
 _On the battleground is where I spent most of my days_  
 _Chillin' out, slashin', stabbin' all cool_  
 _And shootin' some arrows outside of the school_  
 _When a couple of knights who were up to no good_  
 _Started makin' trouble in my neighborhood_  
 _I got in one little fight and the ogre was dismayed_  
 _And said "You're movin with your auntie and uncle in Far Far Away."_

 _I whistled for a carriage and when it came near  
The license plate said 'Fresh' and it had gems in the mirror  
If anything I could say that this ride was okay  
But I thought "Nah, forget it, yo noble, to Far Far Away!"_

 _I pulled up to the castle about 7 or 8_  
 _And I yelled to the chariot "Yo noble, smite ya later"_  
 _Looked at my kingdom, I was here to stay_  
 _To sit on my throne as King of Far Far_ Away

* * *

Some real-hood knights have stopped by the king's crib and said "It was much dishonourable what you did back in the fair town of Camelot by fleeing to thine relatives. The consequences for fleeing shall be a joust. Be at the ye olde jousting fields when the sun is high in the sky."

The fair king, Arthur Pendragon, quickly responded. "Begone ya ninnies, it's ya boy, the great King of Far Far Away and only I can call this square-up official!"

The second knight responded "Wilt thou have the ogre come save you again or are you too chicken to fight us?"

The king was taken aback by these claims. The ogre never saved him he just took him away, at the time he thought he was being kidnapped but he quickly realized he was being rescued from that horrid Worcestershire Academy. He was very frustrated by this misunderstanding.

"How dare you spread this fake news! My homie didn't save me. You were just too scared and fled." The king snapped back at them.

"Prove it then. The jousting fields at high noon, on Friday." The third knight told him before they all turned around and walked off. The king sat and pondered these new thoughts about whether he should go or just send the guards to arrest them for threatening the king. However when he really thought about it he realized if he won these knights would leave him alone but if he lost his people would never respect him again. Unable to make a decision, he decided to get an opinion from a good friend.

Arthur recognized the odor of the swamp from a mile away. He'd found it vile at first, but now he found it welcoming. Enough good memories to last him a lifetime originated from this place. As the carriage pulled up the the familiar hut, the door burst open, and an old friend stepped outside.

"Artie! How are you doing lad?" Shrek yelled. It was hard to hear him over the insanely loud music coming from the hut; Smash Mouth's All Star being the track in question.

"It's all good, homie." He responded, a smile on his face. "Where's the rest of the crew?"

"They all went to visit the old queen in the retirement home. From what I've heard, the place is pretty wild." Shrek said. "Puss and Donkey went with them, so I'm enjoying some alone time for a change."

Arthur chuckled at the onion loving ogre before him. He never ceased to make people laugh, even when he wasn't trying to. "Sorry to bring my homie down, Shrek, but I came here for a reason," Arthur said, growing serious.

"Oh?" Shrek inquired. "And what reason would that be?"

"Three of those thugs from my old hood showed up the other day and challenged ya boy to square up."

"So? What's the problem?"

"The problem is I suck at squaring, homie! Those gangs at the school always used me as a punchbag, and it was worse with squaring up."

"I say accept the challenge. Those braggarts clearly don't know who they're dealing with."

"Think again, fam," Arthur sighed, sitting down on a log. Realizing how serious the situation was, Shrek joined him.

"You have nothing to be afraid of, Artie. You've faced much worse than these hooligans. Even Prince Charming was a bigger threat, and that's saying something."

Arthur let these words sink in, and felt all of his fears slipping away. "You right fam. Finna bout to knock these fools."

Shrek looked down at him, beaming with pride. "Atta boy! Tell you what, I'll accompany you back to the castle. I'll be there cheering you on, along with the rest of the citizens." Then, they were off.

Friday seemed to come sooner than usual, and the town's entire population was seated at the jousting fields, eager to see their king in action once more. There was a tremendous uproar as the king entered the arena, accompanied by their favorite green celebrity. All was going well until the nights pulled up. This time, there was a fourth knight in their company. Arthur's heart skipped a beat as the knight pulled off his helmet.

"Lancelot," Arthur gasped. Lancelot laughed at the shocked expression on Arthur's face.

"Look at this dude!" he sneered. "First they wanted an ogre to be king, and now this kid? Yo, this kingdom really has hit welfare state." The other knights laughed hard at their leader's statement.

"You have no room to talk. You couldn't even finish high school, let alone run a kingdom," Shrek retorted. Lancelot became angry at this, and headed back towards his friends.

"Yo, I can't do this, homie, I just can't," Arthur said.

"Yes you can, lad, what's got you thinkin' you can't?"

"The other dudes were one thing, but I can't take on Lancelot. Not after how many times he roasted me at this. He'll mess ya homie up."

"Arthur, listen," Shrek began. "Win or lose, everyone knows what you've done for this kingdom. They love you as king, and a silly jousting match isn't going to change their opinion. The only way you'll lose respect is if you run from this challenge."

Shrek's words hit home, and Arthur found the courage he needed. He mounted his horse, and charged towards his enemies. One by one he felled them, the cheers of the crowd growing louder and more ecstatic with each knight knocked off his horse.

"Boy, get outta my hood!" Arthur shouted as the four nights sulked away from the city. He had a good feeling that they'd never bother him again.

"Good work lad, I knew you had it in you," Shrek said proudly.

"Thanks, fam. We make a good crew," he responded.

"I think this calls for a celebration," Shrek announced. Before Arthur could ask what he meant, a tremendous sound came from the jousting stadium. It was Smash Mouth's Believer, but played loud enough to shatter the sound barrier. Arthur smiled as he saw food and drink being wheeled into the stadium. All was well in the kingdom again.


	4. The Nightmare

_The prompt for this one was to find any picture and write a short story about it._

 _I chose a picture of a mountain forest and decided to experiment with something I've been working on._

 _If you're reading this, you may know of my Slender series. I'm planning on releasing a third story called "In Noctem" soon._

 _I created an entity called The Nightmare, which will be a major part of In Noctem._

 _Here's a little demonstration of what this thing is capable of._

* * *

Branches whipped his face and roots snatched at his feet as a violent criminal named Brock ran through the forest at full speed. He was on the run yet again, having not learned his lesson from the last incident. But this time, this time he wasn't going down. If they caught him this time, there was no way he was getting off the hook. He could hear the police dogs howling and snarling behind him. Flashlights shone through the trees, passing over him frequently. They were gaining on him. He picked up his pace, not unaware that he was headed straight for the cliffs. He realized too late, as his foot caught on a root and he went tumbling down a steep hill. Beams of light fell on an empty patch of trees, and the dogs stopped howling and tried to sniff out the suspect. Little did they know, they'd never find him.

Groaning, he stood up and clutched his head. Blood was running down his face, and it felt like he'd sprained his ankle. But he couldn't stop and rest, or he'd be caught for sure. He managed to stand up and start limping away from the crash site, unaware that he'd caught the attention of something other than the police. Brock was just beginning to believe he was in the clear when he suddenly heard a twig snap behind him. He whipped around, his eyes growing wide and heart pumping. Nothing. He took deep breaths to calm himself, but noticed a sudden drop in temperature. Not the outdoor temperature, mind you, but that of his own body. The early morning air was fairly warm, but Brock felt as if he was being frozen alive. He could see his breath in the air, and couldn't stop shivering. Then, an awful sense of dread and paranoia set in. He found himself looking around the forest rapidly, and swore he could hear whispers and footsteps coming from the darkness. He wasn't being pursued by the police anymore… something dark had taken their place. The atmospheric disturbances and psychological torment took their toll on him quickly, causing him to fall to his knees, unable to move. He held himself tightly, trying desperately to keep warm. Then, he saw it. In a particularly dark patch of the woods floated two white orbs. They shone with an unholy glow, and gazing into them brought on a feeling of terror like never before. Then, they moved, and Brock realized with horror that they were eyes. He barely had time to scream as the figure rushed towards him, reaching him in an instant. His world went dark as it made contact.

A strange mixture of sounds filled the air. Dripping water, raspy breathing, and bizarre audio frequencies filled the air. Brock pulled himself up off the damp, stone floor and looked around, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness. He was in a maze. The labyrinth was constructed from solid rock, and moss and mold grew on the stone. The walls and floor were damp, and the entire place smelled like mildew. Brock couldn't even make out the ceiling due to the darkness. He then felt a stabbing pain coming from his left arm. He looked down at it and had to resist the urge to scream. The part of his arm where that thing had touched him was black and rotted. The decay looked like a terrible frostbite, and was unimaginably painful. He could feel involuntary tears welling up in his eyes as he stood there, slouched against a wall and cradling his wounded arm. "Turnerrrrrrrr" a deep, sinister voice rang out. "Where are youuuuuuu?" He was practically hyperventilating by this point. As if his psyche wasn't damaged enough, now this thing was going to torment him even further. The maze itself was having a profound effect on him. He was already finding it hard to breathe, his nose was bleeding profusely, and the haunting noises were driving him crazy. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming closer. That was when he lost it.

Brock took off running as fast as he could, carelessly twisting and turning through the elaborate labyrinth. That deep, eerie voice still called out to him, and he could hear its crazed laughter all around him. Unfortunately for Brock, his carelessness was his downfall. He found himself at a dead end, with nowhere left to run. Terrified beyond rational thought, he slowly turned around. It was there, and he could see it clearly now. It was a smoky, distorted, humanoid silhouette. Its eyes were glowing with an increased intensity, and emitted an unnatural white mist. It gazed at him with a hungry look, and Brock could see its hands and fingers transforming into wicked claws. Then, its eyes took on an angered expression, and the creature's mouth opened up as it smiled horribly, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. "Found you," it stated bluntly. Letting out a demonic roar, it charged forward, seizing Brock in its horrible claws and holding him against the wall. He cried out as his flesh sizzled and blackened in its strong grip. Then, several dark, smoky tendrils shot out of the creature and impaled Brock. He was incapable of screaming, incapable of thinking, incapable of even gasping for breath. The Nightmare was liquefying his insides, slowly draining away everything to satisfy its hunger. Worst of all, a white mist leaked out of Brock's blank eyes and entered the monster's dark form as it devoured his very soul. Then, when the gruesome job was done, the Nightmare retracted its tendrils, letting the mummified husk slump to the floor. It left him there without a care in the world, having other things to attend to.


	5. Noctem

_So this was something I threw together for a project in my Mythology class back in late 2016/early 2017._

 _If you've read my other work, you'll realize that this is basically a subpar ripoff of certain events from The Arrival._

 _If you've seen MarbleHornets, you'll notice a couple references._

 _Surprisingly enough, my teacher liked this so much that he gave me full credit for it and asked for a copy to use as an example for other classes._

 _That reaction was, and still is, one of my biggest motivations to keep on writing._

* * *

It was 6:30 by the time the car finally pulled into the long driveway, and the sun was low in the sky due to it being late October. The man behind the wheel was exhausted from the long drive and eager to stretch his legs. However, it appeared he would get the chance to do that much sooner than expected. A dead tree had fallen onto the driveway, blocking the car's path. Sighing with annoyance, Brian parked the car and took out his cell phone, intending to call his brother Tim about the tree.

He called Tim's house, but unfortunately was only met with a dial tone. "Figures," Brian mumbled. The reception always was terrible out there. "Guess I'm walking then," he grumbled. The chilly autumn air hit Brian fast as he exited the vehicle. Luckily, his tan sweatshirt kept him fairly warm. He pulled his hood over his head and began walking, taking the camera with him. Brian only had his camcorder with him because he'd come all the way out to Tim's place to help him shoot a nature documentary. Since he was walking anyway, Brian decided to start recording then and there to get as much footage as possible.

The autumn breeze swept through the landscape, causing the grass and leaves to sway gently in the wind, creating a peaceful, calming environment. The leaves on the trees were various shades of deep orange, bright yellow, and crimson red, standing out against the green surplus of coniferous trees. Deciduous trees were few in number compared to the massive amount of pines, cedars, and other conifers there. But considering this was Washington, the Evergreen State, it wasn't surprising to see.

A wooden fence enclosed the property, and hay bales were abundant to its right, as well as old telephone poles both on the property and off of it. Interestingly enough, the fence to the left started out normally, but once it reached some rather large boulders, the previous owners had used those to their advantage. But since the natural wall couldn't go on forever, they had to continue the fence on the other side.

There was one advantage to living in such an isolated place, and that was the beautiful scenery. Brian never understood why Tim chose to live all the way out there, but he guessed that it had something to do with Tim's paranoia. Ever since they were kids, Tim would see things that weren't there. He would draw these weird pictures, wake up screaming in the night. He'd been to so many different doctors over the years, but none could pinpoint the cause. The only thing Tim could do was fight through it, and so far, he seemed to be winning.

The sun dipped below the horizon just as Tim's house was within sight. Brian quickened his pace, as his hoodie wasn't doing much to protect him from the cold night air, and the rumble of thunder in the distance made it clear that a storm was coming. What little light the moon gave off threatened to disappear behind the dark clouds. Not wanting to be caught in a storm, Brian ran the rest of the way, finally reaching his brother's home. But something was wrong. Tim's front door was wide open.

This immediately set off a red flag. Tim was a paranoid person, he'd never leave his doors unlocked, let alone wide open in the middle of the night. One of the windows was smashed as well. Brian took out his pocket knife, preparing for the worst. It looked like Tim had been robbed. Cautiously, he made his way to the door. "Tim?" he asked, peering inside. There was no answer.

As Brian entered the house, his heart fell. The entire place was destroyed. Furniture was overturned, half of the lights were off or broken, plants and vases were smashed on the floor, and there were even burns on the walls. "What the hell happened here?", he asked himself.

Still in disbelief, Brian searched the place for a flashlight, hoping to find his brother in the process. He managed to find the drawer where Tim kept his flashlights, but still found no sign of his brother. While Brian had been searching, the storm had come. The rain was coming down in buckets, drowning out all sound other than the howling wind and the occasional rumble of thunder. The trees creaked and cracked, violently swaying in the tempest. It was pitch black outside, the only light coming from the occasional lightning strike.

There was something else though, something Brian couldn't quite understand. The air had become unnaturally cold, even inside the house. He could see his breath in the air. Only minutes ago it had been warm, but now it felt like the very air was freezing. Brian didn't know what to make of it. Suddenly, he realized that he'd never even tried to call the police. Berating himself for his stupidity, Brian tried dialing 911. Nothing, the phone line was dead. Not even his cell phone worked. In his haste, he'd forgotten about the dial tone from earlier.

"The city isn't that far away…" he thought to himself. "I suppose I could drive there and get some help". As much as Brian didn't want to make that long trek back down the driveway, especially in the storm, he knew his brother was depending on him. Perhaps Brian would have made it too, if his attention hadn't been diverted by something chilling.

A strangled, gurgling scream coming from the woods hit his ears and sent a chill down his spine. Brian knew immediately that it was Tim. Who else would be all the way out there? His little brother was in trouble. Without thinking, without weighing in the possible consequences of his actions, Brian bolted out of the house, heading towards where the scream had come from… The old cemetery deep within the forest.

The pouring rain drenched Brian, chilling him to the bone and stinging his face. His jeans and shoes were splattered with mud from the trail, but he didn't care. All that mattered to him was getting to his little brother. He didn't want to think of what he might find in that cemetery. He kept telling himself that Tim was fine, that his paranoia had finally gotten to him. He never would have guessed that Tim had every right to be paranoid all these years.

It seemed like hours before Brian, out of breath at this point, finally came upon the cemetery. The trees of the forest stood tall and dark around the clearing the graveyard was built in. The rain had stopped by then, but the precipitation had resulted in an eerie fog. It crept through the trees and along the ground, obscuring most of the graveyard from vision. However, Brian could still make out the small chapel towards the back, just by the tree line. He would have laughed at how cliché the situation seemed if he wasn't in it.

"Tim?" he called out. Once again there was no response. Taking deep breaths to calm himself, Brian approached the boneyard. The ancient metal gate creaked open, and Brian walked inside, headed for the chapel. If Tim was anywhere, he'd be there. Brian did his best not to look at the surplus of graves all around him. Most were old and decrepit, but their dates were still legible. Most of the people buried there had died young.

He knew something was wrong as soon as he stepped into the chapel. Both fresh and old bloodstains covered the floor, and a candle was lit at the end of the room... next to a coffin. Slowly, he made his way over to the podium on which the coffin rested. His worst fears were realized as he discovered a framed picture of his brother propped up next to it. At the bottom of the frame was an inscription…

 _Timothy Heriot_

 _1993-2014_

Brian collapsed onto the chapel floor, trying to control his sobs. He hadn't been quick enough to stop his brother's murder. He never should have let him live so far away from everyone. Never should have left him alone. Tim had always looked up to Brian, and now he'd failed him. His little brother was gone. Brian didn't know how much time passed before he regained what was left of his composure. He had one thought on his mind now. He had to see if it was actually Tim in that coffin.

He thrust open the lid of the casket, but was surprised by what he saw. There was nothing there. Not even a drop of blood. But what did this mean? Was his brother alive? Suddenly it hit him. Someone, or something, had done all of this just to lure him here. As if on cue, the chapel door Brian had entered through slammed shut. A terrible sound hit his ears. It sounded like a mixture of crying, growling, and snarling. Beyond terrified, Brian mustered every remaining bit of willpower left within him to turn around and face his assailant. But as soon as he did, he wished he hadn't.

The horrifying sight before him was far worse than he could have ever imagined. It was Tim, or at least it had been. The demon that had once been his brother stood motionless in the shadows at the other end of the chapel… watching, waiting, its head crooked to the side. Its pale, rotting skin was was stretched so tight over the remaining muscle that the creature might as well have been a skeleton. Its rib cage, femur, and many other bones were clearly visible, and its bloated stomach looked as though it was about to burst. A tattered loincloth, or perhaps the shreds of pants, hung around its waist. The creature's arms bent at odd angles, and its bony fingers looked as if they were made for tearing flesh.

Its thick, mangy, black hair hung down over its terrible face. The demon shouldn't have been able to see, as the only thing left of its eyes were dark, gaping sockets. It's lower jaw was completely missing, a nasty wound taking its place, leaving only a lipless upper jaw. Despite how warped and twisted he was now, Brian still recognized him. He had no doubt that this had once been his brother. But that time was long ago, and Tim was long dead. All that was left was the withered husk of what once was. The putrid smell of blood and rotted flesh mingled with the damp, musty air of the chapel.

Brian stood there, petrified with sorrow, grief, and fear. He wondered how long Tim had been like this. Had it really been Tim he'd talked to about the documentary they were supposed to be shooting, or had it been the creature he was looking at now. The sheer overflow of emotion within Brian kept him from doing anything other than standing there, frozen with horror. He didn't know what to do. All he knew was that he'd lost his brother, and that there was no way out of this.

"Tim… oh god… what happened to you?" Brian sobbed. The creature said nothing, only staring back at Brian. "Are you still there buddy? Is it still you? Tim please, say something! Show me you're still there!" No matter how much Brian pleaded, he got no response. It was like the husk was enjoying his misery. "Tim…" Brian whimpered, stepping toward his brother. Then it snapped. The creature let out an unholy screech and sprinted towards Brian. He had no time to react, and in an instant the monster was upon him.

"Tim no! What are you doing man? Stop! It's me, your brother! It's Brian!" Brian's pleas fell on deaf ears. The demon possessing Tim's corpse had no intention of showing mercy. No one would hear Brian's screams of agony as the demon tore at him, roaring and snarling with animalistic rage. He wondered if Tim was still in there, trapped within his own body, forced to watch as the demon controlling it tore apart his older brother. This was the last thought Brian had as finally, mercifully, his vision faded to black and he knew no more.


	6. The Pinewood Incident

_Here's another short story from one of my classes._

 _This one is a from a few months ago. I was going through some files, found it, and decided to upload it._

 _We had to pick four different sets of numbers, and each set would reveal our topics._

 _I ended up getting; Burglars, A Wildlife Park, A Monkey's Paw, and Face-to-Face With a Monster._

 _I decided to use this story to experiment with a part of the Slenderverse that I haven't really delved into yet..._

 _The Rake._

* * *

It was early June 2017. The night was late, and two men walked side by side along a winding dirt path. The first, Tyler, was 35 years old. He wore a beige sweatshirt, black shoes, and blue jeans. The second, Kyle, was 32 years old. He wore clothes similar to Tyler's, with the only difference being that he was wearing a coat instead of a sweatshirt. The two had met in elementary school and had been best friends ever since. Those had been good times, and they were missed dearly. Things were different now. The two had come into hard times and had no choice but to sell to the black market for any source of income. What were they selling? Exotic animals, which was why they were in the wildlife park in the first place.

They walked through the dense forest in silence, carrying a variety of equipment with them. They'd left their van near the entrance of the park, not wanting to scare away any potential prey. The two friends had been planning to hit the Pinewood Wildlife Refuge for months now and weren't going to ruin their chances of success with something as stupid as a noisy vehicle. They weren't really sure what they were hunting for. It didn't really matter either. Anything exotic would do. Plenty of primates, birds, and even jungle cats roamed these woods. However, it wouldn't be long before the two came across something much different than they were expecting. The first indication was when Kyle's flashlight illuminated an ominous token lying just off of the trail. It was a monkey's paw, recently severed and laying in a puddle of blood. As the two friends gazed upon the disturbing sight, a sickening noise hit their ears. They looked to the right and saw something horrible within the tall grass.

The creature was horribly pale as if no blood ran through its unnaturally skinny body. It almost looked humanoid, and its bones could clearly be seen through its skin. Instead of fingers, wicked, bloodstained claws extended from its hands, gripping the unfortunate monkey that the monstrosity was feasting on. The worst part was the thing's face. It had two beady, black eyes, and its mouth was filled with yellowed, crooked teeth, and a black ooze was leaking from it, almost like drool. It definitely wasn't human, but it wasn't an animal either. Suddenly, it looked up from its feast, noticing the two new morsels.

They stood there looking back at it, frozen with fear. Then, it let what was left of the monkey fall to the ground, and started crawling towards them. "Kyle… run… FUCKING RUN!" Tyler said. The two immediately sprinted back the way they'd come, and no sooner than they did had the creature pounced, landing right where they'd been standing only moments before. It let out an awful screech and chased after them with surprising speed. The two friends ran for their lives, not daring to look back. The growls, snarls, and high pitched screeching never stopped, and only seemed to be getting closer. "Kyle… run. Just run and don't look back," Tyler said. Before Kyle even had time to respond, Tyler had turned around and fired a whole clip of bullets into their pursuer. To his horror, it had no effect on the monster. Kyle could only watch in horror as it lunged at his friend, tearing him to pieces and screaming like a banshee. "Go…" Tyler managed to choke out, before succumbing to his horrific wounds. Blinking back tears, Kyle continued his sprint, reaching the van without further incident.

Unable to believe what had just happened, and consumed with grief, Kyle fumbled with the car keys, accidentally dropping them. He swore loudly, crouching down to pick them up. Then, he heard a twig snap behind him. He turned his head slowly, finding that his face was mere inches from the monster's. He pressed himself against the van, trembling with fear. Incomprehensible whispering came from the monster as it stared at him. However, the calm moment didn't last long. Kyle's scream echoed through the trees as the creature lunged at him.

 **Incident Report #19**

 **Location: Pinewood Wildlife Refuge  
Date: June 11th, 2017  
Time: 2:17 AM  
Details:**

The homicide at the local wildlife park is still under investigation. Little to no cooperation has come from the incident's sole survivor, Kyle Jones. He was found with his vocal cords severed and had deep lacerations all over his body. He is barely able to communicate. The only piece of information we've gotten out of him so far is that he and his now-deceased friend were attacked by something. He has been unable to describe the assailant, but refers to it as "The Feral Other". I'm formally requesting a full-scale investigation into this incident, as well as the eighteen others.


	7. An Unlikely Encounter

_This short story was written for one of my classes back in November of 2017._

 _The prompt was to take a quote and incorporate it into any story we wanted._

 _The quote I got was "Flipping fear into curiosity is a gift" ~Cory Richards._

 _I had minimal use for it while writing this, but it's in there._

 _This is just meant to experiment with an idea I had about two characters from my Slender series meeting up._

 _For clarity's sake, I'll say that this is supposed to take place at some point during "In Noctem"._

 _However, as of now, this is NOT CANNON._

* * *

He awoke to the sound of dripping water and loud, echoing footsteps. Strange frequencies hit his ears, and the air was stale and dead. The man laying on the ground opened his eyes, taking a few minutes to let them adjust to the darkness. He was in some sort of maze… possibly an underground one. Black moss and luminescent vines grew on the cracked stone walls. He picked himself up off the ground, already terrified beyond belief. "Oh god… what the hell is this? Where am I?" the man asked aloud. There was no response, only the unnerving sound of echoing footsteps… and they were growing closer. Now panicking, he took off running in the opposite direction, tripping over vines as he stumbled through the darkness. However, the footsteps picked up their pace, turning into a full-on sprint.

"Stop running!" a deep, demonic voice commanded. The terrified man silently cursed to himself and ran faster, looking back once, only to see two white orbs floating in the darkness. **"I SAID STOP!"** the voice roared. The man stopped in his tracks as a dark figure manifested in front of him, blocking the path. It was humanoid in appearance, but its form was pitch black and volatile. Its unstable body was smokey, and its eyes were glowing white orbs that emitted bright white vapor. Rows of razor sharp teeth lined its mouth, and its hands were little more than wicked claws. The man picked himself up off the ground and sprinted off in the other direction, but with a flash of the creature's eyes a rusted, black, metal fence rose from the ground and shot up into the dark void of a ceiling. Defeated, the man slumped to the ground. "This place is bad enough for you humans as it is, so I wouldn't exert myself if I were you."

"If you're going to kill me, then just fucking do it," the man snapped. "I know what you are… you're the Nightmare. After all those people you murdered, what's one more body to you?"

The Nightmare cackled before responding. "First of all, referring to the scumbags I killed as 'people' is being pretty goddamn generous. Second, if I wanted you dead, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"You're a monster," the man spat.

"And you're stuck with me, so cut it out with the whole 'I'm better than you because I haven't killed' attitude. It'll make this easier for both of us."

The man glared at the smirking being in front of him before responding. "If you're not going to kill me then why am I even here?"

"Well, that's the question of the day, isn't it… The thing is, I was asked by a mutual ally to bring you here and 'enlighten' you with some important information."

"I have a feeling I know who that ally is," he responded.

"Trust your gut, you're probably right," NIghtmare said with a grin. "Anyway, you're probably already feeling the effect that this maze has on you humans, so we should probably get out of here," it said, extending a hand to him. As it did, the darkness around it receded, revealing a human hand. "The shadow form's touch is harmful to most living beings," it explained, as the man took its hand and got back up on his feet.

"What… are you exactly?" he asked.

"Well would you look at that, we've flipped your fear into curiosity. That's a gift, you know," Nightmare said, turning to walk through the maze. "Follow me, Noah, I know the way."


	8. 50 Layers of Green

_This one was actually a group project for one of my classes._

 _We gave it an edgy title just because we felt like it, but I assure you that it isn't nearly as bad as it sounds._

 _We got this assignment after having to read some weird story about a woman who married a goblin._

 _We basically had to make a story that was weird like that one._

 _Welcome to Hell._

* * *

Long ago, before Shrek met his wife Fiona, he was on his way home from work on a glorious bright,and sunny afternoon. As he was in the middle of humming Smash Mouth's "All Star", Shrek saw the most horrendous creature of all time. The creature was extremely hideous, that those who gazed upon her trembled in fear. Little did people know, under her ugly skin she was a magnificent and kind hearted person. Shrek couldn't bring himself to believe that anyone could ever be hideous, but he did believe that those who were considered ugly just need love, and compassion.

Days, and weeks had passed as Shrek would pass by the creature. One day everything began to change for the better, when Shrek had been walking by and heard a faint cry from the distance. He quickly rushes, with each step he takes the faint cry becomes louder, and louder. Then, Shrek looked up from the ground, breathing heavily he saw the creature that everyone in the village had been talking about. It was just a mere women who appeared to be twenty seven years of age, height of five foot nine inches, with dark brown hair, and eyes. What made her stand out most was her light blue, dry, wrinkly skin. Shrek glanced for a while, and started to work up his courage to talk to the foul looking women.

As Shrek headed towards this mischievous women: the women responded "GO AWAY!" However, Shrek had refused to leave until he found out what was upsetting the young women. Shrek then ask " What may the name be?" But, there was no response. For moments there was nothing, but the sound of silence. That was until the young women whispered "My name is Helga." In response Shrek introduced himself too. The women gazed at Shrek wondering why he would ever talk to such a vile person like her. Shrek and Helga became more comfortable with every sentence said. After, hours of talking the two were simply day grew darker, and darker, without wanting to leaving each others side it was time for Shrek to leave. Helga asked Shrek "Will I ever see you again?" In response Shrek replied " How does tomorrow sound? Same time, and place?" Helga, "Sounds great. See you tomorrow!" They met later the next day, and discovered many unique imperfections about one another.

Many days passed as the two got to know each other. Then those days turned to weeks, the weeks turned to months, and the months turned into a year. It was during this time that Shrek learned the truth about his friend. She'd once been a normal woman, but one day she was cursed while swimming in those very woods by a vengeful witch. That's how she became so vile looking, but to Shrek, she was beautiful. The two of them both had a great deal of imperfections from it being the race they are, their facial features, and overall their body image. While they discussed each of their imperfections with each other, both Shrek and Helga thought to themselves while looking at each other that maybe they were meant to live happily ever after. Shrek spoke out aloud " What would you say to being my one true love?" Helga imples " I would want nothing more then to be yours." And so they celebrated late into the night with a massive feast and a bonfire that threatened to burn the whole woods down. However, fate has a tendency to be cruel, and their relationship was not meant to be.

One night, the engaged couple was relaxing in Helga's cabin, when they heard a ruckus from outside. When Shrek opened the door to check out what was happening, he was met with a hail of arrows and pitchforks, all while torches bathed the clearing in a fierce glow. Luckily for Shrek, the ogre had quick reflexes and was able to slam the door shut just in time. "Helga! We have to run! It's an angry mob!" he shouted. He could smell the house burning.

"We can't, my love. They have the house surrounded. Quick, into the cellar!" Helga opened the secret trap door to her stone cellar, and had Shrek go inside first. Then, she slammed the door and locked it.

"Helga! What are you doing!" he exclaimed.

"They won't stop until one of us is dead, Shrek. It has to be me. I'm not going to let you die… not after everything you've done for me."

"For the love of pete, Helga, don't do this! Just come down into the cellar with me! I can't lose you… I love you."

"I love you too, Shrek, but this is just the way it has to be. Now stay quiet so they can't hear you." Without another word, Helga walked to the front door, took a deep breath, and opened it.

Shrek heard a gruff voice shout "Die monster!" Horrible screaming followed, and then there was only the crackling of the burning house. It was many hours before Shrek finally managed to push that trap door open and step into the rubble of the burned house. "Helga!" he wailed, as he saw her burned body laying in the front yard. He held her close for many hours, crying uncontrollably. She was the only one who'd ever looked past his appearance and valued who he was on the inside, and now she'd been ripped away from him by those idiotic humans who only saw them as monsters.

Shrek buried Helga next to the pond where she'd first been cursed. He found it to be a fitting burial ground, since if she hadn't been cursed while swimming there, they probably never would have met. It was after this that Shrek became spiteful, and more reclusive than ever. He receded into his swamp hut, never going near humans again. Naturally, the humans would show up every now and then to try to finish him off, but he stopped them every time. He was done being pushed around. However, Shrek could never bring himself to kill them for what they've done. He just didn't have the heart to cause their families the same pain he'd endured. He remained an angry recluse for several years, until the fateful day he met a certain talking donkey. The adventures that followed would change his life forever.


	9. Anomalies

The prompt for this one was to write a story in the form of documents, an incident report, for example.

We only had to use four documents for this story.

This one revolves around the aftermath of a containment breach at the SCP Foundation.

I've been a fan of The SCP Foundation for quite some time, and I'm actually in the process of writing a story based on SCP - Containment Breach.

I'm incorporating The Foundation into my Slender series as well, which is why an upcoming character from that is a point of interest in this one.

Just like Chapter 7 in this chronicle, however, this one is NOT CANNON.

* * *

 **Doc ID:** CB11-S13-001

 **Subject:** Nelson, █████

 **Date:** 8/7/20██

 **Present:** Dr. ███ Adams, Agent █████ Nelson

Adams: Thank you for stopping by, Agent Nelson. The sooner we get to the bottom of this little incident the better.

Nelson: I agree. I haven't been able to sleep since it happened.

Adams: Would you please explain to me what exactly happened between you and this "shadow monster"?

Nelson: Of course. It was during last week's containment breach, the one orchestrated by that rogue agent… Thompson, was it?

Adams: ███████ Thompson, yes.

Nelson: Right, so anyway, my squad was sent into Site 13 for recon several hours after the initial breach. It was the typical horror show; bodies everywhere, bloodstained walls, paranormal freaks running loose, all that good stuff. But we're all used to that. In this line of work, we see those kinds of things so much that we're all pretty much numb to it… but what I saw during that mission was a whole new level of [ **EXPLETIVE** ].

Adams: It was shortly after your squad, MTF Delta-7, entered the facility that you were ambushed by "The Old Man", correct?

Nelson: Yeah, that [ **EXPLETIVE** ] thing popped out of the wall and dragged Commander Harrison back through with it. Never saw him again. Then, the thing came back and made its way towards the rest of us. We all booked it and somehow I got separated from the others. The Old Man must have either given up or gotten bored because I was all alone… or so I thought. Agent Thompson came out of nowhere and hit me over the head with a metal rod. I dropped my gun because of the impact, and he had his against my head almost immediately. He told me that I "was his ticket out of here" and started leading me toward Gate C. We didn't make it there.

Adams: I assume this is when you came into contact with this "shadow monster" thing?

Nelson: Yeah… that's right.

Adams: Agent Nelson, is it possible that the "shadow monster" was actually the previously sighted "Walrider" making a reappearance?

Nelson: No, this was something else entirely. This thing looked like an actual entity, not some apparition. It looked rather humanoid but was completely black and its form was unstable. It had jagged claws and fierce, glowing white eyes. When it looked over at us, I was certain it was all over.

Adams: But it wasn't.

Nelson: For me, no. Thompson wasn't so lucky. When it saw him, it manifested the most psychotic smile I've ever seen, exposing rows of razor-sharp teeth. In an instant, it was on him. The creature ripped Thompson away from me, held him up in the air by his throat, and said; "Did you really think you would escape me?" Then, it [DATA EXPUNGED]. God, I can still hear those awful screams. By the time it was done with him, his corpse was unrecognizable. That's when I passed out from the head trauma I received from Agent Thompson. When I woke up, the containment breach was under control and my squad was transporting me to the infirmary.

Adams: That's when you told them about these events?

Nelson: That's correct.

Adams: Hmmm… very good, Agent. Now that we have some insight into this incident and an official statement, we can try to figure out exactly what that thing was and why it was here. Thank you for your time… Agent, are you feeling alright?

Nelson: I feel sick, Doctor. I really need sleep, but every time I close my eyes I see that thing tearing Agent Thompson to pieces.

Adams: Very well. You're dismissed, Agent. If you'd like, you're welcome to head to the infirmary and request some sleep medication. Tell them I sent you.

Nelson: Thank you, Doctor, I'll do that.

Adams: Agent Nelson has left the room. I'd like to personally request an on-site psychiatrist to do what they can for him. He's been through a lot recently.

* * *

 **Doc ID:** CB11-S13-002

 **Subject:** Nelson, █████

 **Date:** 8/15/20██

 **Present:** Dr. ███ Adams, Agent █████ Nelson

Adams: Hello again, Agent Nelson.

Nelson: Hello, Doctor.

Adams: Has the sleep medication been working well?

Nelson: Yeah, it's helped a lot. Thanks for that.

Adams: Not a problem, my friend. Now, you've probably guessed by now that I didn't call you down here just for chit-chat.

Nelson: I figured. Do you need another statement or something?

Adams: Actually, Agent, I've requested your presence here today for an important reason. I'd like you to take a look at last night's surveillance footage from the Class-D ward.

Nelson: Holy [ **EXPLETIVE** ], it's that shadow thing again.

Adams: Indeed. As you can see, the creature dragged one of the prisoners out of their cell and proceeded to kill them in the middle of the hallway.

Nelson: Do you have any idea why this thing would do that, or why it's even here?

Adams: Unfortunately, Agent Nelson, we have practically no information on this manifestation. All we know is that ever since it showed up during that breach, the prisoners have been complaining about horrible nightmares. This is highly concerning.

Nelson: It is indeed. But if you don't mind me asking, why are you telling me all of this?

Adams: Well, I just thought you should know since you've had a previous experience with this thing… but there's something else we need from you. 07-Command has requested your assistance in neutralizing this thing.

Nelson: I figured there'd be a catch.

Adams: Please don't take it that way, Agent. We're seriously outgunned here, and you're the only person here who's seen this thing in person and lived to tell the story. We NEED your help on this one. Please.

Nelson: ...Alright, I'll do it. When do we start?

Adams: Right now. Come, we have work to do.

* * *

 **Autopsy Report NV-12**

 **Name:** **Aleksei Petrov**

 **Case #:** **012**

 **Age:** **32**

 **Race:** **East Slavic**

 **Sex:** **Male**

 **Date of Death:** **8/20/20██**

 **Date and Time of Autopsy:** **8/21/20██ 11:21:43 PM**

 **Supervising Medical Examiner:** **Dr. █████ Harper**

 **Notes:**

 **Subject was found dead in the East Hallway of A-Wing. Initial discovery revealed several lacerations on the throat and stomach, broken legs, 2nd and 3rd-degree burns on subject's arms and torso, missing teeth, and gouged eyes. Subject's skin had become dark, leathery, and shriveled. The autopsy revealed seven different puncture wounds in subject's torso. It was discovered that the subject had been drained of blood and all vital organs were gone without a trace, presumably** **[DATA EXPUNGED]** **by the creature responsible. Interestingly enough, the subject's brain was left fully intact but has become completely black and the stem still shows signs of lower brain function. I am formally requesting the quarantine of this subject rather than the usual cremation procedure so that we may study it in hopes of stopping whatever is doing this.**

 **Cause of Death:** **Severe throat lacerations and 99% removal of vital organs**

 **Manner of Death:** **Homicide**

* * *

 **To: jadams04 (a) foundation. mdv**

 **From: bnelson03** **(a) foundation. mdv**

 **Sent: 9/6/20██ 2:25:11 AM**

 **Subject: RE: Nightmares**

 **Attachments:**

Hey Doctor, remember how you asked me to tell you about any new developments on this whole "Nightmare Project"?

Well, I have one. That thing is following me.

I don't know why, and I don't know what it wants, but I see it all the time now.

Whether it's lurking in the shadows or standing in plain sight, it always makes sure I know it's there.

I need help.

This thing won't let me go, not even in my dreams.

I keep having these horrible nightmares, and this demon keeps telling me it'll "enlighten me" soon enough.

I don't know what that means, but I don't like the sound of it.

You have to help me, I'm begging you.

I saw what it did to those other people, and quite frankly I'd rather eat a bullet than let it get its hands on me.

We must have SOMETHING in containment that can help with this situation.

Please get back with me as soon as you can, I don't know how much longer this thing is just going to toy with me before deciding to finish the job.

I don't think…

Oh god…

It's here.


	10. Collision Course

This was the final project for my creative writing class.

There was a multitude of projects we could pick for our final, and I chose to write a story involving a whole new world.

If you're a fan of anything SCP, you'll probably notice a few things from the game.

Most of The Dark Lands resembles the SCP-1499 dimension, especially the ground, the black towers, and the "Shadow Walkers", as they're called in this story.

The skeletal bird from SCP-106's Pocket Dimension is present as well.

I wrote this whole thing in the course of a couple hours. Stayed up until 4 in the morning to get it done.

It's not the best, in my opinion, but it got me full credit so I can't really complain.

* * *

It was a muggy, rainy morning in May when a cell phone rang in a local news station. The young journalist jumped at its shrill cry and looked down from her computer, recognizing the number immediately. "Hey Miles. What's up?" she said, putting the phone to her ear.

"Nikki, you need to head down to the old alley on 5th Avenue. I'm not sure what's happening, but you might want to bring your camera. This is the story of the century."

"Wait, what are you going on about?"

"Just hurry up and get down here. Evan and Emily are already here with me, and Frank's on his way."

"Alright, fine. I'll be there in a few minutes." Nikki grumbled a few obscenities to herself before letting her boss know that she was stepping out for a while.

* * *

"So, would you mind telling me why you felt the need to bring us to this disease-ridden alley?" Frank asked.

"I… can't really explain it. Just follow me."

"This better be good, Miles. You made me and Nikki leave work for this," Evan said.

"Yeah, and today was one of my only free days before midterms," Emily added.

"Evan, you work at Burger King. You're not missing much I can assure you. Whining isn't going to accomplish… Miles… what is that?" Frank stammered.

"That, my friend, is why I called you all down here."

The group of friends could only look on in awe at the dark, swirling vortex in front of them. It seemed to devour any and all light and emitted a foul vapor. Whispers emanated from the singularity, and the longer the friends looked at it, the more uneasy they began to feel. "I didn't know what to do when I saw it. I thought you guys might want to see for yourselves," Miles whispered.

"What is that thing?" Emily asked.

"I have absolutely no idea," Miles responded, taking a step closer. Suddenly, the vortex expanded, hungrily dragging the spectators towards it. They didn't even have time to scream before they'd already been dragged through its gaping maw.

Darkness. That's all they could see for some time. They all stood as still as a statue, nervously listening for anything other than the constant echo of dripping water. The vortex was nowhere to be found, having disappeared as soon as it spat them out onto the other side.

"Where are we?" Miles whimpered.

"I don't know, Miles. Maybe you should go figure that out since it's your fault we're in this mess." Evan snapped.

"Guys, look," Nikki began. "There's light up ahead."

"Should we follow it?" Emily muttered.

"We don't really have any other choice. Let's go," Frank announced.

Without much debate, they all followed Frank towards the source of light, which was growing brighter by the second. None of them were prepared for what they saw when they reached the mouth of the cave.

The barren wasteland in front of them stretched as far as the eye could see. This wasn't Earth, they knew that as soon as they saw the place. The ground was made up of coarse dirt and cracked brown rock. There was no plant life visible anywhere, and tall black spires stood tall, dotting the landscape. It was surprising how much brighter than the cave it was while still in the dead of night, and a violent looking storm loomed ominously over the horizon.

This place… it was horrible. An intense sense of dread had pierced the hearts of all 5 friends, and that dread was only amplified when they noticed the strange beings roaming around. The creatures were slightly taller than a human, but they were twisted and corrupted beyond comprehension. Their slim bodies were covered in eyes and mouths, and they had wicked claws on both their hands and feet.

"Ok guys, what do we do now?" Emily asked.

Before anyone could answer, a high pitched screech rang out from behind them. Evan screamed in pain as something wet hit the back of his head at full force, causing his flesh to sizzle and blister. The group whipped around, terror overtaking them as they came face to face with an army of arachnid-like creatures crawling out of the cave. The little horrors came up to their knees, and their eight legs made them as wide as a human was tall. They were protected by a metallic, black exoskeleton, and the wicked stingers on their backs dripped with poison.

"Run!" Evan yelled.

Not a single person hesitated. They all bolted away from the spider nest as fast as they could. Unfortunately for Evan, the horde had already chosen him as their prey. He was ensnared in a net of their corrosive webs and dragged back into the cave to be devoured, screaming in agony as his skin burned.

"Don't look back guys… Just don't look back," Frank said, doing all he could to choke back tears. The others were doing the same. There'd be time to grieve for their friend later, once they were out of harm's way… whenever that would be.

After running for what felt like hours, they ended up in a grove of eerie looking trees, all of which had been stripped of their leaves. However, it appeared that now that this world knew of their presence, they weren't going to catch a break.

The very earth suddenly began to shake, and dead trees crashed to the ground as an ear-splitting noise deafened the newcomers. Emily was the first to see the source of the tremor. A massive skeletal bird was soaring low over the grove, never flapping its wings or changing direction, almost like it was some sort of aircraft. As they all gazed up at it in fascination, Nikki noticed a few of those tall creatures they'd seen earlier taking cover under the trees, stuffing dirt into their many eyes in order to shield them from the demonic bird.

"Uh, guys. I think we'd better move!" she shouted, pointing at the creatures. She'd given the advice just in the nick of time, as a large, bloodshot eye opened up on the bird's chest, resulting in an unholy screech that shook the earth.

"Emily, don't look at it! Close your eyes!" Miles shouted. Frank looked over and there she was, standing out in the open and staring up at the monstrosity above them.

"I… can't… It's beautiful…" she muttered, her eyes becoming dark red.

"Emily, please! Do as we say!" Frank pleaded. His pleas fell on deaf ears… not that they would've helped anyway. The damage was already done. Emily gave a slight shudder, and her eyes exploded, along with her brain and all of her other vital organs. She crumpled to the ground just as the bird disappeared from sight.

"Christ… Emily…" Miles began to say. But he never got to finish his sentence. He let out a gurgled scream as one of the tall creatures sliced his stomach open with its claws, and before the remaining two newcomers even knew what was going on, Miles' mutilated corpse was already being torn apart by several of the creatures.

Nikki had to drag Frank away from the frenzy, as he was ready to slaughter every last one of the monsters. It was some time before he calmed down enough to make rational decisions again, and it took even longer to make it out of that grove. However, what they were met with was far from inviting. An old temple stood tall on the border of the grove. It's stone walls were cracked and covered in black moss, and the strange storm system was at its strongest directly above the place.

"So, do you honestly believe that you can stop me?" a deep voice spoke out. It was coming from a figure standing in the doorway. It seemed humanoid in appearance, but there was no way to tell what it truly was. It wore long black robes, a blood red porcelain tragedy mask, and carried a staff made of iron, with a glowing crystal set in it.

"Who are you?" Frank demanded.

"Don't feign ignorance with me, boy. You've come to stop The Overseer's plan of aligning our two dimensions. There can be no other reason for your arrival here, which is why I had my followers slaughter your companions."

"What do you mean you're trying to align the dimensions? How would you even do that, and why?" Nikki asked.

"My dear, isn't it obvious? I'm going to do to your world the same as I did to this one. Take a look around you. That is my goal. As for how, well, the crystal in my staff controls a rather amazing machine within this temple. Unfortunately for you, you'll never get to see… HEY!" The Overseer shouted angrily as Nikki rushed towards him, grabbing his robes and throwing him down the stairs before he had time to react, knocking the staff out of his hands.

"You're going to pay for what you did to my friends," she said to him. The Overseer simply chuckled, and with a snap of his fingers, a bolt of lightning from the gathering storm struck Nikki, reducing her to ash.

"Now then," The Overseer said, standing up, "anyone else?"

"Yeah," Frank growled. The Overseer turned around just as Frank brought the dropped staff down on The Overseer's head, bringing him to his knees. "I've heard just about enough out of you." The Overseer never stood a chance against Frank's merciless onslaught. He brought the staff down on his enemy's head again, and again, and again until there was little left but a bloodstained hood and a shattered mask. Frank then knew what he had to do. He rushed into the temple and quickly found the machine that was aligning the dimensions. He jammed the staff into the machine's circuits, shattering the crystal and rendering the machine useless. It shuddered to a stop as Frank took one last look at it, and then it exploded, showering him in light.

* * *

Frank awoke alone in that alley alone, which was all the confirmation he needed to know that the whole thing hadn't been a dream. His friends really were dead, but their sacrifices hadn't been in vain. The merging of the dimensions had been stopped. He decided to just go home and get some rest for the night, but upon pulling into his driveway, he was met with a surprise. Several large vehicles were parked there as well, and militaristic looking men with guns stood patiently waiting outside of them.

"Who are you people?" Frank asked.

"We'd like to ask the same of you, Mr. Castle," one said. "If you don't mind, we'd like to take you back to one of our sites and find out just how some untrained civilian was able to stop one of the greatest catastrophes of our time."

"Fine," Frank said, "Not like I have anything better to do. But I'm going to ask you again, who are you people?"

The man chuckled before giving his answer. "We are The Foundation."


End file.
